1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus having a cover portion which is automatically opened and closed freely.
2. Description of the Related Art
When cleaning and disinfecting a cleaning/disinfecting target object, for example, an endoscope using an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus, an operator first arranges the used endoscope on a bottom surface of a hollow portion of a cleaning/disinfecting tank and connects various tubes to a cap of the endoscope. After that, the operator closes a cover portion and presses a start button.
After that, a cleaning/disinfecting process starts, and the cleaning/disinfecting process ends after a predetermined time period elapses. Lastly, the operator opens the cover portion and takes out the cleaned and disinfected endoscope.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-284213 discloses a cleaning/disinfecting apparatus having an automatic opening/closing mechanism for automatically opening and closing a cover portion.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-284213 discloses a configuration in which a position sensor for detecting an opening/closing position is provided on a hinge portion for opening and closing a cover portion.
By the way, the cover portion is provided with a watertight member for, when the cover portion is closed, keeping the cleaning/disinfecting tank watertight by being pressed to an approach portion provided on a perimeter of the hollow portion of the cleaning/disinfecting tank and adhering to the approach portion, being deformed.
Here, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-284213, if an insertion portion has a large diameter in a case where, in the configuration in which the cover portion is automatically opened and closed, a part of the insertion portion of an endoscope arranged in the hollow portion of the cleaning/disinfecting tank protrudes outside the cleaning/disinfecting tank, it does not happen that the cover portion is closed even if the watertight member is compressed when the insertion portion with the large diameter is sandwiched between the approach portion and the watertight member, because the insertion portion gets in the way because it has a large diameter. That is, it does not happen that a closed position sensor detects the closed position of the cover portion.